Becca waved me over to where she stood with her combat and shifting partner, Monica. I stood beside them as the arena began to fill with eager students. Word had gotten around fast that Enzo was our professor again and Xander was no more.
It was clear that nobody liked Xander, they just tolerated him.
Enzo stood in front of the class, looking around at everyone and I knew from deep in my soul that he was trying hard not to look at me.
“I’m not entirely sure where Professor Xander had left off with your lessons, but I found his curriculum so I’m going to start at the very beginning of it as a review session. Then, we will get into more advanced areas.”
Everyone agreed as Enzo started from the beginning and worked his way through Xander’s curriculum. Because I didn’t have a partner, I was forced to be Enzo’s partner. Which wouldn’t have been a bad thing if I didn’t crave him so much. It was hard being this close to him and not kissing him or being passionate toward him.
I had to pretend he was just my professor.
I’m sure it was difficult for him as well considering his wolf was very active.
I still couldn’t shift into my wolf, so we mainly stuck with the combat portion of the class. He was a lot gentler toward me than Xander was and part of me felt a bit angered by that. I didn’t want him to go easy on me because he was afraid of breaking me. I wanted him to be rough so I could really learn how to fight during any scenario.
There was a large part of me that knew I needed to learn.
Xander might have been tough and hurt me a lot, but at least he didn’t hold back.
By the time class ended, everybody was covered in sweat. Enzo went to clean up the mess he left in the corner of the room, and I just thought about how much I missed seeing his stuff there as opposed to Xander’s.
“Hey,”
Becca said, draping an arm through mine and bringing my attention from Enzo to her.
I smiled at her knowing she was dragging me away before I started drooling.
“Hey,”
I chuckled as she pulled me toward the door.
“You look like you’re about to lick him,”
she laughed.
My face warmed but I laughed as well and together we left the arena without another look in Enzo’s direction. Though, I knew he was looking at me and smiling just as I was smiling.
The students I agreed to tutor were already in the library when I entered. They had their textbooks and notebooks opened in front of them and they looked unbelievably stressed. Many students here were here because of scholarships. If they fail classes, they will lose their scholarships and get kicked out of this school.
I was no different and neither were they.
Getting good grades was important, so we took our tests seriously.
We had a test in a couple of days that they were afraid of failing, but I promised that I would tutor them and help them study.
All three of them looked relieved to see me as I joined them at their tables.
“What are we studying first?”
I asked, staring at all their many textbooks. I thought I was only teaching them werewolf history, but it seemed like they were having more trouble than I thought.
“Well, I’m working on vocabulary,”
one of the boys said, scratching his head with a scrunched-up look. “I can’t seem to remember any of the words. They are hard…”
I frowned and looked at his vocab book, scanning through the ones he had highlighted.
“I’m studying for the history exam,”
the girl said, frowning down at her book.
“And I’m doing my math homework,”
the other boy said, but his page was blank.
“Okay, so here’s what we’ll do,”
I said as I opened my backpack and rummaged through it.
I pulled out a small container of highlighters and handed the girl the yellow highlighter.
“You’re going to highlight key phrases and important sentences in that history book. Read it carefully before highlighting,”
I instructed and did as I asked.
I pulled out a thing of flashcards and put it in front of the boy studying vocab.
“You’re going to write one word on each flash card and on the back of the card you’re going to write the definition,”
I told him.
He nodded and took the flashcards to get to work.
“Meanwhile, I’ll help you with your math and then we can all study together,”
I said as I leaned across the table to look at the boy’s math book and worksheet.
It was basic geometry, which I found myself decent in. I actually took this same class last year so I already kind of knew the answers without even doing the problem myself.
I felt a cold presence entering the library after about 30 minutes of working and then I heard her voice behind me.
“Ew, look at the bunch of nerds,”
Sarah chuckled to her friends who stared at us with disgust. “Like shouldn’t you be preparing for the election you’re going to close.”
I pressed my lips together firmly, knowing it was better if I said less. I looked at the boy who was doing vocab, he kept his eyes buried in his book, obviously afraid of Sarah and her crew.
“Remember this word; Brusque,”
I said, giving him a smile before glaring at Sarah. “It means Rudely abrupt or blunt in speech or manner.”
“In other words… Sarah?”
The girl asked.
I nodded, watching as Sarah’s face reddened.
“You think you’re so smart… well…”
she started to say but another, much deeper and more powerful voice sounded from nearby.
“Sarah… walk…. Away,”
he said through his clenched teeth.
Sarah’s face drained of any color as she turned and saw the man standing before her. Sarah’s faint words made my heart fall into my stomach.
“Dad?”
Lila’s POV
“You should be practicing your own speech,”
Alpha Jonathan said through his teeth as he stared down at his daughter. “Instead of harassing the very students you are supposed to be representing.”
Sarah had gone completely pale and the rest of us wouldn’t dare speak. I don’t think any of us were expecting to see Sarah’s father standing in the middle of our library, staring daggers at Sarah.
He was a very intimidating man, but when he’s angry, he’s even more intimidating.
“I was just—”
“I don’t care,”
he said in a low and threatening. “I’ve heard enough. Don’t make me repeat myself because you won’t like what I do next.”
I watched as she swallowed hard and then she nodded, turning back to her wide-eyed and pale-faced friends.
“Let’s go,”
she murmured to them.
She didn’t have to say that twice; her friends started scurrying away quickly and Sarah was right behind them, not daring to look back at her father.
Alpha Jonathan remained though and once Sarah was out of me, he turned to me. At first, his expression was unreadable; it left an unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Lila, I apologize for my daughter’s behavior,”
he said, shaking his head with dismay written all over his face. “I have no excuses.”